Judicial
Beheadings and Capital Punishment
Decapitation is
the separation of the head from the body.
Beheading refers to the act in which the decapitation is carried out for
execution. Beheading as a form of
punishment has been around for centuries. This form of punishment was performed
by axe, sword, knife, or a wire. The
Romans considered beheading a more humane and honorable way to die when
compared to crucifixion, thus they only beheaded their own citizens and
crucified the others.
The axe and sword
were the favored tools used for beheading, but they tended to become dull and could
only strike as hard and accurately as the headsman wielding it. This meant that it often took a number of
blows to the neck to sever the head from the body. If a person was beheaded by sword, there was
usually no block to lay the head upon and the victim kneeled as the sword
struck. A typical execution sword was
36-48 inches long and 2-2.5 inches wide, with a handle long enough for both of
the executioner’s hands. The axe, which
was used more often, needed a wooden block where the person would place their
head, these blocks were often shaped to fit the neck.
In England,
beheading was used as a form of punishment for serious crimes since Anglo-Saxon
times. Beheading was considered an
honorable way to die for an aristocrat, when compared to hanging, being burned
at the stake, or drawn and quartered. Nevertheless,
beheadings weren’t a regular occurrence, and an inexperienced headsman and a
blunt axe could make dying torturous. The
courageous Countess of Salisbury was struck eleven times, once in the shoulder,
during a private Tower Green execution of 150 spectators, before she passed. The 2nd Earl of Essex and Mary,
Queen of Scots, required three blows to see the deed completed.
This brings us
to the invention of the guillotine in the late 18th century, for
this device was seen as a more humane alternative. Although other similar beheading devices did
exist at the time, none of them were adopted on such a large scale as the
guillotine with its diagonal blade. The
guillotine carried out executions far more efficiently and post-Revolutionary
France adopted the contraption in 1792.
This unfortunately led to the Reign of Terror in France, where more than
30,000 people met the guillotine in a single year. France used the guillotine for
state-sanctioned executions until 1977.
Guillotine Facts:
Total weight of guillotine is about
1278 lbs.
The
guillotine’s metal blade weighs about 88.2 lbs.
The
height of the guillotine posts average about 14 ft.
The
falling blade has a rate of speed of about 21 feet per second.
The
beheading takes place in 2/100 of a second.
The
time the blade falls and then stops takes a 70th of a second.
There were
certain traditions followed in an English beheading. A raised platform was built and covered with
straw. A minister would offer comfort
and prayer for the victim. The victim
was then expected to forgive the executioner and speak to the crowd if they
wished. The victim was encouraged to
gift the executioner with a gold coin to ensure the job was done with
care. The headsman usually wore a black
suit and a half mask covering his face.
The victim is usually blindfolded so they do not see the weapon coming
and possibly move at a crucial moment.
The results are horrific, and as you can imagine, blood spurts from the
severed arteries. After, the severed
head was held up by the hair to the crowd in an effort to teach a lesson. Death by beheading is immediate, but stored
oxygen in the brain takes about eight seconds to disperse before death occurs,
which is due to the separation of the brain and spinal cord, this is why some people
report seeing the eyes and mouth move on a severed head. The heads of traitors were then displayed on
top of spikes on London Bridge. The
Tower of London saw many executions but severity of punishment depended upon
the crime committed. Most executions
were held in public on Tower Hill, but some executions were conducted behind
the walls of the Tower at Tower Green. These
private executions were considered politically charged or the victims were
female, thus certain beheadings were believed to be too sensitive for the often-riotous
public. Double hangings were rare, but they
did occur during the Jacobite Rebellion.
Beheading was outlawed in England in 1747.
Over time, many
began to see beheading as cruel and barbaric, in turn leading most of the world
to banish it as a form of punishment.
Nevertheless, beheading is still legal in Saudi Arabia and various
Middle Eastern Countries. Saudi Arabia
conducts public beheading’s for many crimes, including murder, rape, drug
trafficking, sodomy, armed robbery, and others.
Some famous beheadings
in the American Colonies and Great Britain:
This list could begin in Roman times and unfortunately it would end in
current times.
American Colonies (Utah Territory allowed beheading as a
means of execution as an option, but no one chose that option and beheadings
were no longer permitted when Utah became a state.)
1586- Roanoke Indian Chief Wingina
was beheaded by English settlers.
1676- New England Indian Chief
Metacomet “King Philip” was killed in battle, beheaded and quartered for
resisting white settlement. His head was
displayed on a pole for 25 years in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
1718- Famous pirate Blackbeard was
beheaded posthumously after his capture at Ocracoke Island off North Carolina.
Great Britain (Executions in England were implemented
according to birth and execution of the lower classes was usually achieved by
hanging from the gallows.)
1536- Anne Boleyn, Queen of England was
beheaded by sword for treason.
1541-
Catherine Howard, Queen of England was beheaded for treason.
1567- Mary, Queen of Scots was
beheaded for treason.
1716-
Viscount Kenmure was beheaded at Tower Hill as a Jacobite Rebel.
1746- 6th Lord
Balmerinoch was beheaded at Tower Hill as a Jacobite Rebel.
1817- Jeremiah Brandreth was
beheaded in Derby for treason. He was
the last person in Britain to be beheaded, but since beheading was outlawed at
this time, he was hanged and then posthumously beheaded.
A
special thank you to capitalpunishmentuk.org and The History of the Guillotine
by Dr. Jospeh Ignace Guillotin.
